Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-02-23
SPRINGFIELD AND MAGAZINE GUN
Inc army Officer Who EavOrs the Sin.
gle Loader Backing Up His Opinion.

gle Loader Backing Up His Opinion.
oo my scaip is wanted by another officer for
oelng so ridiculous as to wish to arm our troops
WIZ Inferior arms" said the army officer, who, a
le" uays ago advocated, In THE STAR the merits OF
the springfield rife when he saw THs STAR man
approach. "wel," he continued. al don't deserve
tnaI, tor desire the best gun. The Magazine gun
nIay oe Inc gun OF the future as the other man
that dare not doubt it. but what we want is the
guh OF me present and we have it In the Spring.
aut Inc Springfield OF to-day is great improve
II l0t Ine superior OF any military single loader.
wouid De Obliged to you IL you would ask your
the WHICH you sno1 the other
Inc Martlni-Henry rifle even as single loader as
at GialnS, Try to keep up with professional
ever made between the two was In 1872 the result
Oh Wn l0 was published to ordnance notes the
next next year This is what the report says: The
velocity, reooil, power-as shown by penetra-
t u IN white pine--accuracy, and fairness
did 10 aSsn
I'm, Win the exception of one OF the targets at
lOoO yards. In all the other points the superior
single one OF penetration; but, as tests made In
comparing 1t with the Peabody-Marttn showed
.hat IL gave penetration OF nearly two inches at
auouI One mile, II would seem hardly necessary to
Increase It's power. One hundred rounds OF Martini
flne Cartridges weigh nearly two pounds and two
Ice cartridges The '' sprnTeId L VI with 1t bay-
onet and scabbard, is Of the same weight as
Inc Martini, but with the rod bayonet is lighter.
larger. With the long range Springfield, longer
range and greater penetration at extreme range
e wf6e with the than with
STATEMENTS as that our army is so far behind that
II VIII never catch up are too general to mean
much; In what respects is it behind7 1 have
seen the armies of many nations and in my Opin-
Ion ours Is the equal OF any in regard to clothing
LoOd, arms, ammunition and equipments. But to
10 <lff
Guilty lies In supplying the line OF battle with am
nunltlon NOW II we cannot supply the needs OF
the present single loader in that respect-ifi IL can
nre more cartridges than we can supply for 1t,
why should We replace 1t by gun of more compli-
cated mechanism and consequent liability to be
disabled? Surely not because it can fire more car
trdges in the same time, when the cartridges can
not be supplied for it to flre. When the Lee
Hotchkiss and Chanee-Reece were put into the
the country to show the men how to use them
After years trial report was made, and the chief
or ordnance gives II in a letter which apparently
reading from the report3
comparing the magazine guns with each other
and with the Springfield service rifle as single
Lodders, the preference is for the Springfield, as
follows: For the Lee 5, Chafree- Reece Q, HOtchkss
], Springfield p. Comparing the mazazine guns
for the Lee TO- Chaf1ee-Reece 5, Hotchkiss 4, and
the Springfield 46-being largely In favor OF the
Springfield And again: i have been and am an
the part wisdom to postpone for the present any
further efforts towards the adoption of suitable
magazine arm for the service. The Springfield
rifle gives such general satisfaction to the
army that we can safely wait a reasonable time
for further developments Of magazine systems.
SO you see the weight OF opinion among those who
tried them all was in favor OF the Springfield. 1t
would hardly seem thepart of wisdom to take away
an arm with which the bulk of the army is satisfied
to replace 1t by another, only because European
governments are adopting the latter. The re-
marks about field guns have sort of Wizard, Has
kell anti Benet tone. Hasn't your friend read the
rv n No hfS }e l,o
conceaing his knowledge of the fact that although
the guns at Washington barracks are not OF late
pattern, batteries elsewhere have been armed with
Improved guns from time to time, il located where
they could use them? Harkin at San Francisco
has breech leaders, McCrea at Vancouver has
Hotchkiss revolving cannon and woodruff at Fort
Leavenworth regular museum OF experimental
guns; while the reports OF the Secretary Of War
and chief Of ordnance have shown for two years
that breech loading steel field guns and steel
rtages were being experimental with. This years
report shows 25 to be almost ready, and the car
rage to be the equal OF any in any service. This
hardly shows Willingness to remain at stand
still"